UK: Labour party asks Conservatives to return Russian donations as tensions escalate

UK’s Labour Party on Monday, February 7 called on the Conservatives to return the funding from donors from Russian as tensions escalated due to Moscow’s heavy military concentration at the frontier with Ukraine. In a joint letter addressed to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves questioned the Russian funding as they accused Johnson of using the UK as the “laundromat for dirty money.” 

Angry Labour members told Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, “We can’t stand up to Russia’s aggression abroad while ignoring Russian-linked corruption at home,” according to the Mirror. Furthermore, they accused the Conservatives of extracting more than £5 million of Russian linked money in the last 10 years.

As the UK dispatched 30 elite troops and soldiers from the SAS, SBS, Special Reconnaissance Regiment, and Special Forces Support provided combat training to the Ukrainian soldiers to counter the Russian aggression, shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy and shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves told Conservatives that it was unethical to keep the Russian donations and that the cash must be returned by the UK immediately. 

“It is shameful that Britain is repeatedly described as the money-laundering capital of the world,” the joint letter written by the Labour Party read on Feb. 6. 

“It is in our national and economic interests to address the challenges of hostile influence and interference which the Government’s inaction and behaviour have regrettably permitted,” it added. 

'Cosy links' between Conservative Party and Russian-linked donors

Accusing the Boris Johnson government of inaction on the matter, lawmaker Lammy told the Sunday Mirror, “The cosy links between the Conservative Party and Russian-linked donors raise serious questions about our national security at a time when tensions with Russia are on the rise.” He went on to add, “While Boris Johnson tries to talk tough with Vladimir Putin, his own party has been raking in millions from donors with links to Russia.” 

London mayor Sadiq Khan has also launched efforts for the wealthier to register overseas property ownership in order to tackle the rising cases of money laundering in the UK. “Ministers have turned a blind eye to the use of our capital city as a safe harbour for corrupt funds. Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” Khan said, in a statement to the Mirror.

An estimated 250,000 properties in England and Wales are owned by overseas residents. According to experts, not registering the overseas property, lack of transparency and action on the UK government’s part implies that some of the properties could well dodge sanctions that Boris Johnson might impose in case Russia invades Ukraine.

“It will prevent the government from acting on their tough talk about further sanctions if they are imposed on Putin’s regime,” the London Mayor stressed to the newspaper. An estimated  £100billion corrupt funding flows into the UK annually, and Labour now wants Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee report in 2020 that lists Russian funding to be investigated.